The SQUAS project in brief

Motivation:  

In water resource management, predictive services for sustainable planning are crucial. Current tools mainly address water availability, with limited practical applications for water quality. Our project aims to fill this gap, which is particularly relevant given the ongoing transformation of water resources due to rapidly changing climatic conditions.

Objectives: 

1. Increase the accessibility of diagnostic and predictive tools for local authorities and managers of surface water resources, such as agricultural consortia, hydroelectric plant operators, municipal companies, and public entities.

2. Enhance the ability of these entities to plan and manage water resources efficiently and sustainably.

Methodology: 

The project will integrate physical-based modelling used to forecast key water quality parameters with satellite data for monitoring purposes.

Data requirements:

A case study will be chosen for each category of surface water bodies, including lakes, reservoirs, and large rivers. The preferred case study is a medium-sized system (> 250 m in width) with multi-year time series of in-situ water quality data, including at least water temperature.

Expected outcomes:

1. Development (prototype) of a diagnostic, satellite-based tool encompassing water temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, and related parameters. This tool will be integrated with a model-based forecasting system, primarily focused on water temperature. The operational diagnostic/forecasting service will offer spatial maps and point series accessible through APIs or a dashboard.

2. Publication of a dedicated website for the diagnostic/forecasting tool, aimed at enhancing its widespread dissemination and utilization among both the general public and researchers in the field.